day by night

Listening to the new Sun Kil Moon album - i.e. Red House Painters' Mark Kozeleck doing Modest Mouse covers. My guess is you have to be either (or both) a RHP/MK or Modest Mouse fan to enjoy this album, seeing as how both are either acquired tastes or best suited to those with certain personalities. I happen to dig it...it's kind of exactly what you'd expect from such a union - Kozeleck's slow, sleepy delivery matched with Isaac Brock's fast, herky-jerky delivery and surrealistic, stream-of-conscious lyrics.

Also been listening to the new Kanye West record. Don't like it as much as the last if only because it doesn't have the immediate grab factor, no "Jesus Walks," etc, but I'm trying to spend more time with it, to see if it's a slow burn.

Apropos of nothing: Went to my first Hollywood Park Neighborhood Association meeting on Wednesday and it was something straight out of the Gilmore Girls, complete with our own resident Taylor Dosey. Mayor Heather Fargo was the guest of honor, only she was more than a half-hour late which forced everyone to stall for time. I know the mayor's a busy woman, but still, she didn't even really apologize for her tardiness. And when she finally started talking it just seemed like this very canned speech about flood preparedness - and the Kings arena that wouldn't die.

Seriously. She brought up the goddamned arena because she knew "we all wanted to know about its progress" (there hasn't been any). WTF? Just let it go already. I mean, no don't let it go, I'd like to keep the Kings around as much as the next person, but obviously, Ms. Fargo, all of your ideas and efforts are dead in the water so it's time to move on.

I wasn't able to stick around for the Q&A session so I don't know how far she strayed from her script or if she talked about anything Hollywood Park/Curtis Park/Land Park-related...

Anyhoo...it's been an odd week if only because I've been feeling a bit blah and strangely disconnected and maybe more than a little disappointed in certain people, but hopefully that's passing now and there's a Baby Grand show at Old Ironsides in a few hours so I've got something to which to look forward: Friends and a little rock/pop.

Also: Happy birthday Marcus. You wear it well.